Saturday 9 July 2011 17.29 EDT
First published on Saturday 9 July 2011 17.29 EDT

Tributes have been pouring in for the former US first lady Betty Ford – perhaps best known around the world for her work treating addiction – who has died aged 93.

Her husband, President Gerald Ford, died five years ago and his widow had lived in California in her later years. In US politics, she was remembered as an outspoken woman who brought style and laughter to an often stuffy 1970s White House.

President Barack Obama led the national tributes. "Today, we take comfort in the knowledge that Betty and her husband, former president Gerald Ford, are together once more," he said in a White House statement.

Former presidents praised her outspokenness on women's rights and health, especially cancer and drug and alcohol problems. "As a staunch advocate for women's and equal rights, Betty paved the way for generations of women to follow. Her courage, compassion and commitment to helping our nation deal with drug and alcohol abuse and addiction helped thousands of people to a successful recovery, and in the process she helped to save countless families," said former president Bill Clinton.

"She was a wonderful wife and mother, a great friend and a courageous first lady. No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced," added former president George HW Bush.

Those challenges came first in 1974, when Ford, who was then first lady, was diagnosed with breast cancer. In a move that shocked the nation, she revealed the diagnosis and openly discussed her mastectomy. That decision inspired women across the US and prompted a surge in those going for check-ups. She once said that she believed her cancer had served a "special purpose" in allowing her to advocate for early detection and treatment. She was pronounced clear of the disease in 1976 after chemotherapy.

Ford's open style hit the headlines again, after her husband had left office, when in 1982 she founded the Betty Ford Centre in Palm Springs, California, as a clinic for people with drug and alcohol problems. At least half the clinic's places are reserved for women and it has become world renowned for both the treatment it provides and for research into addiction.

Ford revealed she had struggled herself with both pills and alcohol. She had developed a problem with painkillers after a neck injury in 1964 had resulted in a pinched nerve. Her drinking increased as she missed her husband while he was on his lengthy business and political trips, and as a way of overcoming her social anxiety. Her family and friends eventually persuaded her – after a tough battle – to seek treatment in 1978. Her victory in that battle led directly to her desire to found her own clinic and go public with her struggles. The Betty Ford Centre rapidly became a byword for addiction treatment and attracted celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Liza Minnelli. Ford worked tirelessly to strip away the social stigma surrounding addiction, just as she had for cancer.

Although she died with her name known around the globe, Ford came into the world in modest circumstances. Chicago-born in 1918, Elizabeth Ann Bloomer was the daughter of a travelling salesman. She was a model and dancer who married her first husband, insurance salesman William Warren, in 1942. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1947. A year later, she met Gerald Ford, a war veteran standing for Congress. The pair quickly wed and their marriage lasted 58 years.

When Ford replaced the disgraced Richard Nixon, his wife was seen as a breath of fresh air. Whereas the Nixons had demanded that White House staff had little to do with them socially, Ford insisted on a more friendly atmosphere. It was a success, and when Ford returned from her mastectomy, staff held up signs reading: "We love you, Betty."

She was also a renowned hostess, performing the traditional duties of a presidential spouse. She became known – some would say infamous – for dancing in the White House's halls and corridors and the parties that she held were famed for going on past midnight. On her husband's last full day in office, she danced on the cabinet room table, a moment captured by a photographer.

But aside from the open gaiety, Ford also created headlines for her forthright views on women, sex and equal rights for women. She privately urged her husband to make more female appointments. But she was far from a liberal on other matters, including the Vietnam war.

Her public speeches divided reaction: some loved her and some wished she would stay quiet. In 1975, she joked on a TV show that she would not be surprised if her daughter had an extramarital affair. Her husband later turned the joke back on her, quipping that the comment might have cost him millions of votes in the 1976 election that he lost.

But, as the battles of the 1970s disappeared and Ford became known for her clinic more than her political statements, she became among the best-loved first ladies of recent history. "We know that organisations such as the Betty Ford Centre will honour her legacy by giving countless Americans a new lease on life," Obama said.